


Solo Mission

by Bobcatmoran



Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Gen, but not beyond that point, robots in spaaaaaace!, spoilers up thru episode 15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:53:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24243853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobcatmoran/pseuds/Bobcatmoran
Summary: On his first solo mission, Subaru reflects on the past.
Relationships: Subaru & Raiden
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	Solo Mission

_“That’s it, line it up. You don’t need too much force — there’s no air resistance up here, no gravity, so it’ll just keep going the way you nudge it.”_

Raiden’s advice flitted through Subaru’s memory banks as he adjusted the trajectory of Rise Hopper. It was odd to do this by himself. Raiden had been gradually backing off the last couple months, letting Subaru take over more and more, but to suddenly not have him here at all was…lonely. They’d been together nearly all the time since Subaru’s activation, and to have nothing but the silent presence of Zea was almost oppressive.

The Rise Hopper slid into its dock with a slow rebound at the end as it connected to its port. Subaru gave it a quick scan to make sure the motorbike was fully connected for its next launch, then moved on to the routine checklist. 

* * *

_“Look, up there.”_

_Subaru followed Raiden’s outstretched finger, gesturing towards the stars._

_“The Pleiades?”_

_“Nah, that’s just what the Europeans and Americans call it. That is Subaru. That’s you.”_

_Subaru cocked his head, looking at the cluster of six stars (actually several hundred stars, his databanks supplied, but his optics couldn’t make out more than six). “Subaru,” he echoed._

* * *

One of the solar cells on the Earth-facing side had been damaged by something, probably a micrometeorite. Subaru made a mental log of where it was so he could return with a replacement, and continued his inspection. 

* * *

_Whispers and hushed conversations followed Subaru throughout the space facility._

_“…went totally berserk…”_

_“…terrorist…”_

_“…knew those old models couldn’t be anything but trouble…”_

_What they were saying about Raiden-niisan was true, to some extent. But, Subaru noted, none of those carrying on whispered conversations that they thought he couldn’t hear had actually known Raiden. None of them had been taught by him, worked side by side with him, had been…_ family _._

* * *

The sheer scale of Zea meant that Subaru had to re-tether at various points while he made his rounds. He carefully connected at his next point before letting his previous tether slowly wind itself back into its slot. 

* * *

_“Take off toward a dream.”_

_Subaru opened his eyes slowly, getting his bearings. A flood of data rushed in through his optics — location, objects, the IDs of the humans and Humagears in the room, his current coordinates.  
_

_A face suddenly took up nearly his entire field of vision as someone leaned over him, with an orange jumpsuit and hair to match. 'Astronaut Raiden_ ,' _his databanks provided. Raiden’s face lit up into a toothy grin as Subaru blinked up at him, optics calibrating. “Hey, welcome to the world, little brother.”_

_“Brother?”_

* * *

Aside from the damaged solar cell, all elements of the inspection had returned optimal results. Subaru slowly made his way back to the shuttle to pick up the necessary supplies for the repair. 

He paused once he had returned to the Earth-facing side of the satellite, and looked down at the Earth below, at the blue oceans, swirling white clouds, brown deserts, and at the chain of islands where somewhere lay Daybreak Town and near it, the parking lot where Aruto-shachou had said Raiden-niisan had met his end.

* * *

_“Niisan?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“What was it like?”_

_“What was what like?”_

_“Daybreak Town. Before the incident. I have seen the promotional videos, but there is very little footage or information that seems to have survived despite the relatively short amount of time that has passed.”_

_“I—“ Raiden’s ear modules suddenly started flickering in an agitated pattern and he winced, reaching up towards them before whatever it was subsided as quickly as it started._

_“Niisan? Are you all right?”_

_“M’fine.” A long pause, then, “Daybreak was…it was fine. Until it wasn’t.”_


End file.
